Toddler falls to death

The balcony (circled) of Hussain Manzil in Dhatkidih from where Shaad fell on Thursday. (Bhola Prasad)

A two-and-a-half-year-old boy fell off the second-floor balcony at his maternal grandparents’ home in Dhatkidih, Bistupur, on Thursday evening and died of head injuries in hospital two hours later.

Shaad Khan was playing alone in the balcony at Hussain Manzil, the five-storey apartment in B-Block of Dhatkidih, while his mother and other family members were chatting inside. Around 6.30pm, someone in the neighbourhood saw the child falling and screamed in shock.

It is not clear how Shaad breached the railing, but neighbours suspect that the toddler climbed onto a chair or similar piece of furniture kept in the balcony and bent over leading to the accident.

The child was rushed to Tata Main Hospital, half a kilometre away from Dhatkidih, and was shifted to the special observation ward from the emergency. He, however, succumbed to a grievous head wound by 8.30pm.

Father Naushad Khan, who is a maintenance employee at United Club and lives in the same area, lost consciousness on hearing the news. The mother, whose name couldn’t be ascertained, is in trauma. Ruchi Narendran, wife of Tata Steel managing director T.V. Narendran, visited the hospital to console the couple.

Bistupur OC Jitendera Kumar said it was unfortunate. “The child fell from the second floor of the apartment. He was admitted to hospital, but could not be saved,” he added.